European Tonearm vs. Japan Tonearm any experience ?

[tutancarmen]

I've got some Europen Tonearms but I've never had any Japan Tonearm . I know that there are hundres of Japan tonearms expecially in the used Market . Do you have any experience with old and new japanese tonearm ?
Could you list some overlooked japan tonearm ?

[AJSki2fly]

I don’t know anything about Japanese tonearms but I suspect there will be some very good ones as the Japanese love good hifi I believe.

[Barry]

The Japanese make some superb tonearms - both for their own market and as OEM for European brands.

Most of the famous marques have now disappeared, but Jelco (who make arms for Ortofon) are still going strong and Glanz have recently started production.

[Marco]

Don't forget Ikeda, some of which whose arms I believe Tom (Montesquieu) uses: http://www.islabs.co.jp/tonearm.html

The engineering quality is stunning! Also SAEC (another 'blast from the past') are bringing a new range of arms to the global market: https://hifipig.com/ds-exports-bring...global-market/

Plus, the Audio-Technica AT1503IIIa is highly rated: https://www.lpgear.com/product/AT1503IIIA.html

Roberto, there are some superb Japanese tonearms around in the used market too, especially from the likes of Fidelity Research and Audiocraft, plus Denon made some good ones. Plenty of choices

Marco.

[Barry]

Cheers Marco,

I had forgotten about Ikeda .

Didn't know the At 1503 II was still available (at a not unreasonable price), but SEAC starting to re-manufacture tone arms is news to me. BTW, what is a double knife-edge bearing? And would you pay $8,500 for one!

[montesquieu]

Cheers Marco,

I had forgotten about Ikeda .

Didn't know the At 1503 II was still available (at a not unreasonable price), but SEAC starting to re-manufacture tone arms is news to me. BTW, what is a double knife-edge bearing? And would you pay $8,500 for one!

Quite a fan of Japanese arms, as Marco says I have two Ikedas (both still available new), and on the Garrard I have an Audio Technica AT-1503 Mk1 - the original broadcast version co-designed with NHK which according to some sources was built for AT by Audiocraft (allegedly also the AT-1010, I've read). Along with the similar ATP12T it's a very nice arm and mine got even better after Angus fettled it (rewire and new hybrid ceramic bearings). Dynavector arms are made in Japan as well.

Jelco still make arms for lots of other brands as well as their own (including at least the lower-end Ortofon arms). I recently heard the new Jelco TK-850L (the 12in version) on Petrat's Verdier and it was extremely good. Total bargain for the asking price.

Vintage arms can be great - Fidelity Research FR64, FR66, and FR12 and 14, assorted Micro Seikis, Audiocrafts and SAECs (great news these are coming back) but it's easy to buy a lemon with shot bearings or needing a rewire. Reputable source is the key.

The Ortofon RMG 309 Limited I had for a while was made in Japan.

[stuartypoorty]

I’ve never experienced a Japanese tonearm but am intrigued by the many classic and modern designs out there.

Fidelity Research and Grace, along with Koetsu and Kiseki are still well regarded.

As someone mentioned Glanz have relaunched their range, three designs at present. SAEC are also back with a lovely updated tonearm.

Esoteric types: the amazing looking Audio Tekne design, Teragaki (I believe) and RS Laboratories look like serious contenders.
The 47 Labs 4725 Tsurube was interesting too.

The Sorane (formerly ABIS) and VIV Labs design’s are relatively new.

Audiocraft, Dynavector, Ikeda, Toho and so forth.

Several new ones: the CS Port Linear tracking AFU1-2 model, Fidelix and the Quallum UTA-200a

So yes, a lot to ponder.

Almost forgot, most of the arms, if not all can be viewed alongside the turntable and cartridge galleries over at www.tapeheads.net
To view the images you need to register as a member.

[Dr Henry Jones]

I have on a garrard 301 one of the icons of uni pivot tone arms, a hadcock. Very heath Robinson to look at but first rate sound,
However on a heavily modified lenco I have built and using as a demo I put on a £130 quids worth of second hand audiocraft ac 30 another unipivot design from Japan , there cheapest model ............. It sounds easily as good as the haddock, it's very well made, the engineering is extremely good.
Now that is my only experience of Japanese tonearms but it's been a very good one , taking cartridge and turntable combernations into account I would imagine many other tonearms from Japan will sound very good .
Regards steve

[DSJR]

Sorry, I sold and set up many Hadcocks back in the day and all the memories are dominated by how each one fell apart in the box before fitting. I used to be good at re-assembly, but it's definitely a hands-on type of antique I must admit

What I wanted to say is that Jelco have some new models around a grand from what Hugo (Ammonite) told me recently. I believe the vertical bearings are knife edge and the geometry better suits the Linn style and although I didn't hear one, they certainly look the business and now fit the Techie better I was told. The previously popular 750 is now around £600 I gather.

[Ammonite Audio]

Sorry, I sold and set up many Hadcocks back in the day and all the memories are dominated by how each one fell apart in the box before fitting. I used to be good at re-assembly, but it's definitely a hands-on type of antique I must admit

What I wanted to say is that Jelco have some new models around a grand from what Hugo (Ammonite) told me recently. I believe the vertical bearings are knife edge and the geometry better suits the Linn style and although I didn't hear one, they certainly look the business and now fit the Techie better I was told. The previously popular 750 is now around £600 I gather.

The new Jelco tonearms aren't the same as Linn, since the 9" variants still require mounting at 214mm from the spindle, rather than 211mm. Their geometry has been altered in the new designs, though, and any of the new Jelcos will now allow fixed headshell cartridges such as Ortofon SPUs to correctly trace the intended arc (Baerwald, I believe). The old Jelco SA-750 and SA-250 9" and 12" variants had somewhat idiosyncratic alignments that did not really work with SPUs, but was fine with conventional cartridges where overhang and offset can be adjusted at the headshell.

I have a customer who had harboured an itch for a Hadcock for ages but found it to be most disappointing in terms of sound but very much so for ease of use. He changed the Hadcock for the Jelco 'knife edge bearing' TK-850S and was delighted both with the improvement in sound as well as handling and ergonomics. I did not see the Hadcock but Dave's comments above may still have relevance today based on my customer's experience. Whatever, and returning to the original question of this thread, I have come to realise that Japanese makers did and still do produce great tonearms and like Tom I find that heavyweight 'battleship' Japanese tonearms like Fidelity Research, Ikeda and Glanz are pretty much unbeatable. It's rather lovely that Japanese makers still produce such things, as they have done for decades.